Timer



Sept. 18 1923. 1,468,405

E. E. SAVARD TIMER I Filed June 7, 1921 Patented Sept. 18, 1923.

UNITED STATES EDWIN E. SA'VARD, 0F VENTURA, CALIFORNIA.

TIMER.

Application filed June 7,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWIN E.- SAvARn, a citizen ofthe United States, and a resident of Venture, in the county of Ventura and State of California, have invented ertain new and useful Improvements in Timers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to timers of the type employed in connection with internal combustion engines for governing the time of production of the spark, whereby the eX- plosive charges in the various cylinders are ignited, and this invention is an improvement over that disclosed in the patent issued jointly to myself and Winfred E. Jones, December 6, 1910, No. 977,752.

As distinguishing from said former patout, an object of this invention is to provide a timer that is more readily substituted for timers already in place on engines The construction disclosed in the prior patent makes it necessary to cut off the outer end of the cam shaft of a well known type of automobile engine, whereaswith this invention the cam shaft is used without changing it in any particulanit being only necessary to detach the old timer and substituto therefor this new timer, Without the use of any other tools than a wrench.

The accompanying drawings illustrate the invention: a p

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a timer embodying the invention, the case being in section so as to disclose the mechanism therein.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal mid sectional elevation of the timer shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a fragmental sectional elevation on line indicated by E -m Figure 2. Figure 4 is a side elevation of the outer eccentric.

Figure 5 is a frontelevation of the cupped washer.

Figure 6 is an end elevation of the outer eccentric from the left of Figure 4.

Figure 7 is an end view of the eccentric strap. a

Figure 8 is a front end view of the inner eccentric.

A portion of the front wall of the housing of the cam shaft operating-gears is shown at 1, and it may be recessed as indicated at 2. The wall 1 supports a bearing 3 in which. rotates the cam shaft 4 of the engine, only a fragment of said cam shaft being shown 1921. Serial No. 475,654.

in Figure 2. Fitting in the recess 2 is the timer cover 5. are well'known in the art pertaining to timers, and especially to that type of timer used on a well-known make of light automobile. The shaft 4 is provided with a shoulder 6 against which the inner end of the bearing 3 thrusts, said shoulder inwardly terminating a reduced portion 7 of the shaft 4, s'aid portion '7 being journaled in the bearing 3. Mounted on the forward end of the reduced shaft portion 7 is a collar comprising an annular flange 8 and an inner eccentric 9, the flange 8 thrusting against the outer end of the bearing 3. The collar 8, 9 is 'detachably fastened to the shaft 4, to rotate therewith, by a headed pin 10 which extends through a perforation 11 in the collar and engages a hole 12, extending transversely through the shaft 4.

Mounted on the eccentric 9 is a sleeve comprising an outer eccentric 13. an annular flange 14 and a reduced portion 15, the

flange 14 being between the eccentric and the reduced portion. The sleeve is of approximately the same width as the inner eccentric 9. The eccentric 13 abuts the.

flange 8 and the reduced portion 15 is provided with a hole 16, through which'the pin 10 extends, thus not only fixing the inner eccentric to the shaft but also holding the outer eccentric in fixed relation to the inner eccentric and shaft. 011 the outer eccentric 13 is an eccentric strap or ring 17 in which the outer eccentric is free to rotate.

When the shaft 4 is turned, it rotates the two ccentrics and thus carries the ring 17 in an eccentric path around the axis of said shaft, so that the ring engages in succession each one of a series of electric contacts in the form of balls 18 which are normally held in the path of travel of the ring 17 by coil springs 19. hen the ring 17 is disengaged from the balls 18, the movement inward of said balls is limited by reason of said balls engaging in orifices 20 in, the inner legs of U-shape members 21 which are fastened at their outer ends hystove bolts 22 to the periphery of the cover 5, said bolts 22 forming binding posts for the electrical connections and being electrically insulated at 23 from the cover 5. The outer ends of the springs 19 are clamped between the bolt heads 24 and legs 25 of the member 21 positioned between the insulation The parts so far described 23 and the springs, as clearly shown in Fig 1 1 Q A cupped washer engages over the re duced portion 15 of the sleeve and said washer is held tightly against the flush ends of the inner eccentric 9 and the reduced portion 15 by a nut 27 which is screwthreaded on to the outer end of the reduced shaft portion '7. The washer 26 extends over the pin 10 and thus prevents said pin from falling out.

The timer cover 5 is provided in the usual manner with a suitable arm 28 with which ark-control lever of the engine may tie connected in a. manner well understood in this art for turning the cover 5 about its axis to change the positions of the contacts 18 about the axis of the ring 17.

In actual operation, the cam shaft 4 is operated by the engine in the usual manner and the inner and outer eccentrics are rotated with said shaft so as to produce an eccentric motion of the ring 17 about the axis of the shaft. he ring 1'? thus engages each of the electric contacts 18 in turn, thrusting it outwardly agains the inward pressure of the associated spring 19. The shaft 4- is grounded, and thus the electric current flows between the shaft and the binding post the springs 19 constituting the path for the current between the balls 18 and the binding posts In the well-known type of automobile referred to above. the shaft is constructed,

as described, with a pin similar to the pin 10 s ated in the hole 12 of the shaft. After the old timer is removed, this new timer may be readily installed in its place by slipping the collar 8, 9 onto the forward end of the shaft, placing the sleeve 13, ll, 15 on the eccentric 9, with the ring 17 between the flange 8 and flange 14: and then passing the pin 10 through the perforations 11, 16 into the hole 12. The perforations 11, 1G and hole 12 will be located at the appropriate points for effecting the desired throw of the ring 17, and it is clear that by making the hole 11 or 16 at different points on the periphery of the eccentric 9 or 13 the throw may be increased or diminished so as to lengthen or shorten the time during which the ring is in engagement with each of the electric contacts.

The operation of this timer is substantially like that of the prior patented timer here inbefore referred to, but with the prior construction it is not possible to place the timer on existing cam shafts without changing said shafts. The differences in construction between this timer and the prior timer are such that both eccentrics can be placed on the old shaft without changing said shaft in any particular.

It is clear that by employing the inner eccentric 9, applicant is enabled to mount his timer on the old cam shaft '7 of the motor without any change whatsoever being necessary in said shaft, thus his timer is assembleddifferently than the patented timer and the assembling can be effected without other tools than a wrench.

I claim:

1. In a timer, the combination, with a shaft, of a collar mounted on the shaft and comprising a flange and an eccentric, a sleeve mounted on the eccentric and comprising an outer eccentric and a flange, means fastening the collar and sleeve to the shaft, a ring rotatably mounted on the outer eccentric between the two flanges, and a yieldingly mounted electric contact adapted to be intermittently engaged by the ring when the eccentrics turn.

In a timer, the combination, with a shaft, of a collar mounted on the shaft comprising a flange and an eccentric, a sleeve mounted on the eccentric and comprising an outer eccentric and a flange between one end of the sleeve and the eccentric, a pin passing through the inner eccentric and through the sleeve between its flange and said end and engaging the shaft, a ring rotatably mounted on the outer eccentric between the two flanges, and a yieldingly mounted electric contact adapted to be intermittently engaged by the ring when the eccentrics turn.

3. In a timer, the combination, with a shaft, of a collar mounted on the shaft and comprising a flange and an inner eccentric, a sleeve mounted on the eccentric and comprising an outer eccentric and a flange between one end of the sleeve and the eccentric, the sleeve being of substantially the same width as the inner eccentric, a pin passing through the inner eccentricv and through the sleeve between its flange and said end and engaging the shaft, a ring rotatably mounted on the outer eccentric between the two flanges, a cupped washer fitting over the flush ends of the collar and sleeve, a nut on the shaft to hold the washer in place, and a yieldingly mounted electric contact adapted to be intermittently engaged by the ring when the eccentrics turn.

Signed at Venture, Calif, this 26th day of May, 1921.

EDWIN E. SAVARD. lVitnesses \V. D. SrRoUD,

CLAY G. Knox." 

